Direct Vote Now – latest developments

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We palmeirenses must fight many battles, a considerable number of them against those supposedly on our side: our own directors. We fight for the right to stay in town to watch home games. Fight for the right to decently priced tickets made available in an orderly and just manner. Fight for the right to games played on reasonable hours (this battle we’re losing big time, as any other team/supporter in this country).

Frequent readers of Anything Palmeiras will not be unfamiliar with the “Direct Vote Now” (Diretas Já) movement; the quest for statutory change within Palmeiras have been the subject of previous posts (here and here). In short, the aim is to have Palmeiras’ president elected directly by the members and not, as currently is the case, indirectly through the members of the Deliberate Council. Needless to say, the progressive proposal rocks the entire feudal system that characterises the political life within the club, which for so many decades has prevented any attempt at transparent and professional management. And exactly due to the above reasons, the Direct Vote proposal has been (unlawfully) tucked away month after month in an attempt to ignore the wind of change.

It lasted only so long. Pressure to address the issue of the Direct Vote became too strong and the proposal elaborated by 81 of Palmeiras’ consiglieri will actually be voted upon already this year. If approved, the first direct presidential election at Palmeiras will take place in 2014.

In order to prepare the club’s counsellors for the more than important decision ahead, a series of five presentations and debates have been organised by the group proposing the Direct Vote. The last of the five presentations was held this Wednesday. In total, a little over 100 counsellors attended the presentations, including the current president Arnaldo Tirone and some of his predecessors, notably Mustafa Contursi and Luiz Gonzaga Belluzo. Renato Recchi, one of the responsible for drafting the original proposal and also for conducting the presentation of the proposal at each of the five sessions, believes that the overall response was positive: “In the meetings, we presented the details of the proposed statutory changes that would modify the process of electing the club’s directors and president. I believe that the level of acceptance of the proposal is higher than we previously thought”, lawyer Recchi concludes.

Next, the proposal will be put to the vote in the club’s Deliberate Council – which should take place in October – before passing the scrutiny of club members at a General Assembly scheduled for November.

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About the “Diretas Ja” movement, of which yours truly takes active part: the Direct Vote Now is a non-partisan, non-profit movement created and organized through social networks to discuss and demand direct elections for president of the Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras. On Facebook, the movement has the support of more than 10,900 fans; on Twitter, more than 6,200 followers. The movement has no ties to any institution or political group but consists of ordinary fans and club members who are fed up of silently watching the damages caused by the internal politics at Palmeiras. We want democracy, transparency and accountability. We want a political system capable of stimulating new ideas and professionalism in management. We want the Direct Vote at Palmeiras.

Well, Kristian, I always thought that in the last decade, the club´s presidents and directors have been acting AGAINST the club, that´s my impression…
I think that all the players and coaches that worked there are less guilty than those “gentlemen” all these years. Not forgetting of those old counselors that have an archaic and narrow-minded concepts influencing the choices for the leaders. Palmeiras, IT´S TIME FOR CHANGES!!! DEMOCRACY NOW!!!!

I don’t think you’re alone in your assessment, Alviverde… Good news is that finally, the progressive forces seem to have enough momentum to really rock the boat. We must all do our part, in one way or the other. Cheers!